UN Human Rights Office and Venezuela sign a Cooperation Agreement
Sep 24 2019 – The agreement will allow two officers of the Human Rights Office to remain continuously in Venezuela. It also includes the strengthening of mechanisms for the protection of fundamental guarantees and opens the door to the visit of special rapporteurs for the next two years.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Government of Venezuela have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that creates a framework for future discussions and cooperation, together with a continuous presence in the country of a team of two UN human rights officers.
The cooperation document establishes a basis for continuous dialogue and points to the possibility of a future agreement that will allow the establishment of a UN Human Rights country office in Venezuela.
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The Memorandum includes strengthening national mechanisms for the protection of human rights and access to justice, as well as facilitating the possibility of future visits by UN special rapporteurs over the next two years.
Desde la #UNGA el Canciller Jorge Arreaza sostiene una reuniĂłn con la Alta Comisionada de la ONU para DDHH, Michelle Bachelet, a quien le recalcĂł la intenciĂłn de cooperaciĂłn del Gobierno Bolivariano con su oficina, a pesar de las diferencias expresas sobre su informe. pic.twitter.com/rqifUIpXjN
— CancillerĂa Venezuela 🇻🇪 (@CancilleriaVE) September 24, 2019
The details of these activities will be agreed in a working plan between the government of the South American nation and the UN Office of Human Rights “within 30 days of signing”.
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Similarly, the agreement allows human rights officers access to detention centers and they are granted freedom of movement throughout the country.
“My office and I are committed to working closely with the authorities, as well as with civil society organizations, to promote and protect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all people in Venezuela,” said Bachelet.
The signing of the agreement, which has an yearlong duration, had as signatories the High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet, and the Minister of Popular Power for Foreign Affairs of Venezuela, Jorge Arreaza.
Translated by JRE/EF
